WHERE AND HOW IT ALL BEGAN

VIDEO: Skating At Home

Some time ago when I was a boy of 14 I learned to roller-skate.  I had to.  Every friend I knew was at the roller rink.  I didn't consider the learning curve, I just did it.  By the age of 16 when I could finally drive and didn't need my parents to drop me off at the skating rink I almost didn't have much use for it.  But I continued as it was a great place to meet girls. Let's face it, I was 16.  But eventually even the lure of the female persuasion couldn't keep me at the skating rink, there was a lot of world to see and I hung up my skates for some time.  Eventually I'd learn to snow ski and later on water ski.  My strong ability to skate came in handy.  I once tried to ice-skate and found that it was not the same as skating on four wheels, this made me wary when the a new type of skate came along... the inline skate or rollerblade as many people will call them still.  They are called inline skates because the skate wheels are inline, centered under your foot.  Believe it or not an out-of-line skate has come on and they may be my next purchase, just two wheels and they are on the side of the foot.  I've listed at the bottom of this article some good skating resource links.  NOTE: Remember you don't need speed skates for recreational skating.  You don't want to jump barrels in speed skates, you only need good pads and a helmet.  You should also own wrist gaurds too if not round out the whole set with elbow pads IF you intend to jump, grind or slalom.  If you are learning, these are must have investments.  But I'm getting ahead of myself... let me tell the story...

By the time I had moved to Atlanta Georgia in the summer of 1995 I was 30 years old.  I began to skate a lot from my apartment to my place of work.  A co-worker told me of a place where a lot of inline skaters gathered... Piedmont Park in downtown Atlanta.   That is where I met Cindy... she was a hardcore skater and she was part of the in-crowd of skaters there at the park.  For whatever reason she liked me and we started dating.   Before I knew it was jumping barrels and she was teaching me how to stop by slaloming and a simple proper T-stop as well as how to skate backwards on one foot through cones (slalom).  I never mastered slaloming backwards on one foot but I did enjoy jumping barrels.  

I recall some great times in Piedmont Park.  From the 12th street entrance near the Druid Hills side of the park we would sit and watch friends dance and jump and just relax drinking sangria. I was big on sangria back then. There was this amazing Mexican restaurant in downtown Atlanta where I experienced it and I also first heard of B-Tribe.  But the sangria was delicious and Duran Duran even did a remake of the song Perfect Day where a line was sung... "Just a perfect day, drink sangria in the park... and later when it gets dark we go home."  Skating in the park and Sangria on the grass, those were perfect days.  I suppose that is why I still think of skating in the park as a fond experience. I recall that Cindy and I would wander outside the park and skate up the street for an ice-cream.  I would skate off with Cindy around the big oval and talk about where we thought we'd be in 10 years.  I'm sure she is still there if she hasn't already found her home in the Virginia-Highlands.

I moved to Florida that next year and the beach sand put an end to inline skating for me.  But I didn't throw my skates away.  When I got married, I purchased my wife an amazing conventional pair of Solomon skates so that we could skate together, she found reasons not to skate and I found other interests athletically since it was clear if I wanted to be fit, I was doing it on my own.

And now... while single again I skate most every night around midnight, thinking of how I met the greatest characters while skating in the park.   This got the best of me.  I decided that since I get every other weekend free, to do as I please with my entire weekend...  I will really get out there and do the things I dared not do while I was married, or while I'm a full time father.   That is skate in the park.  But not just any park.  And I've taken friends skating with my children here in Delaware (actually Dalton rides his bike along with us), but but really... that is not a park.  Even when they complete it, it won't be what to me is a world class park.  No... I mean "the" park.  The one you can't take for granted... Central Park in New York.  

Thus I began my grand experiment in life experiences.   With a couple friends in New York already I made my calls and my trips to Manhattan's Central Park every other weekend began.

Driving to New York wasn't an issue.  But planning my day around Central Park could be.  Friends in town pointed me towards parking near 73rd and 74th streets.  I found that the Mayfair (72^nd) was ideally located but they wanted $45.00 for a full day to park.   I decided to check out parking on the East side for laughs; and that’s what it was.  I knew better, The East side more expensive.   For six hours for parking anywhere between 5^th avenue and Park Avenue you’ll pay $54.00 and up!  That is for six hours! 

Let me get right to it... Park at 64^th on the West Side, it’s only $25.00 all day plus tax it’s $28.00.  Enough said.   

For my fellow Delawareans the trip takes me from my home in Bear to where you nose of the loop on Central park, Two hours and twenty one minutes.   It’s about 139 miles total at a average speed of 59 miles per hour. (laugh).

THE LOOP

Where do you skate?  Essentially you skate what is known as “The Loop” and experience some straight off scenic skating with a serious cardio workout.  The Loop is roadway, it is a circle inside the park.  When traffic is present there is a bike lane where bikers, joggers and skaters can still travel.  I’ve only gone on weekends when The Loop is closed to traffic but the word is it’s not ideal when cars are present.  

The traffic of bikers, runners, walkers and skaters travel counter-clockwise through the park.  I enter at 63^rd street.  It's just beyond Sheeps Meadow and North of Tavern on the Green (where the sheep were once kept).  I then begin my skate in a southern direction.  This may not be the most glamorous part of the park to start a skate, but it is ideally located for exiting at the end of your day.    Depending on the quality of your skate, you will have to avoid some road chatter through your wheels from time-to-time especially if you have headphones.  Harder wheels equal speed but more road chatter by the way.

Now if you stick just to The Loop for skating and do no more than skate, you’ll get a great workout, enjoy great views and meet a lot of people.   However each time I go I meet people from all over the world simply by skating through many of the small paths, resting on benches and from general people watching at most of the primary gathering places like Sheep Meadow or more commonly called, Sheep's Meadow.  If I picnic during the day, Sheep Meadow is a great place to do so.  You'll get in some great people watching here, from massive water gun fights to scores of frisbee's being tossed and impromtu wiffle ball games.  In short it is wide expanse which draws all types of sunbathers from families with babies and couples in love to countless Frisbees and footballs being tossed.  One week I noticed after a bit that the couple next to us was rather showey in their affection and manner in which they spoke to each other.  I turned to my friend and said, "Is this guy for real?"  She answered, "They are rehearsing, see what book she has in her hands."  And that is just about what you can expect at Central Park.  Oh... they were rehearsing for a class, Taming of the Shrew.  That explains the knife remark. LOL Soon after while sitting down after a having a catch with a baseball I saw two young ladies getting hit on by an older gent, I turned to my friend and said, "I should have been video taping this!  I'm witnessing a guy getting shot down in flames!" Sure enough the aftermath was him walking back to his bike to his friend and the two girls turning to laugh to each other.  Sheep Meadow is a focal point of activity in Central Park. You can in fact skate around the perimeter of it for a scenic view.

The Loop is not a simple flat skate.  If want an easy work out, stick to the south side of the loop.  The sloping hills are tenable for beginners and those just looking for a day of it. But if you enjoy all there is in skating, you’ll want to do the entire loop all the way to 102^nd street, the southern side of the loop and far end of Central park.   

While The Loop is one big circle in the park, it can be skated in sections:

The Loop does in fact have various large grades that bikers and joggers have to deal with in the same manner an inline skater does.  The first grade is called “Cedar Hill” which is a long upward slope that eats you up over time. Cedar Hill runs along the East side of the park approaching the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) not to be confused with the MoMa.   When you crest this hill you’ll find a sign on the right at a park area “Welcome to Cedar Hill” where many sunbathers take in a scenic view of the East side.  Take a break for a photo-op!

The tougher two are “Lasker Hill” and “The Great Hill”.  Both come one after the other.  If you are a decent inline skater Lasker Hill it will annoy you at best.  However the second hill, The Great Hill is shorter and steeper (Interesting note, this is the highest point of the park), both hills are on the south side of the park and essentially the half way point on The Loop.  Lasker Hill draws its name as it runs along the Lasker Rink. 

Let's say you want to try and skate the entire Loop but realize half way you are not going to be able to handle the Great Hill or Lasker Hill.  You can bypass them at the last moment but cutting across the park at the baseball fields, this area is called The North Meadow.  Skirting the North Meadow you will come out around 97th street just shy of the tennis courts.  You'll still have a few small upward grades to deal with but you'll avoid the nasty stuff.

By now you draw that  The Loop is your connection to all parts of the park, yet most of the action and easier skating takes place in the the Lower Loop.  If you are looking to plan your skate here are some great specifics gleaned from the New York Runners Club:

As you round the entire length of Central Park, if this is your first time visititing it, you will be astounded at the sheer amount of recreational activities taking place.  On any day I visit there are weddings down by the boathouse to countless softball games, (I take my glove, hint), soccer games, whiffle ball games, martial arts lessons, people practicing who knows what everywhere for that matter and so much more.   On one day I took in a FREE play of Romeo and Juliet, the line was enormous but worth the wait.  I got there early so it worked out.   I met yet new friends (a couple traders) and hopefull I made friends I'll get to visit again when coming back for another day trip to the park.  So you should be ready to make friends and really experience life at its fullest.  Bottom line, you won't just skate. 

Slalom and Dance Inline Skating

Then there is dance and slalom skating. Inline skaters generally have established skating areas in the mid section of the south end of the loop. The two locations are in eye sight of each other.  For skating slalom (cones) you want to seek out The Band Shell.  It’s called The Band Shell for a simple reason.  Bands play in a large acoustic half shell stage. I’ve heard everything there from African influenced choirs to Scottish Bag Pipers.   There is a mall there that they generally work their way down in a parade to the Band Shell.   The Band Shell is the place referred to as the gathering place but in reality the skating location is at the end of the mall running down near Bethesda Terrace.  In fact closer to Bethesda Terrace are the Hard Rock Cellos.  Here is a link to watch them in action on YouTube - The Hard Rock Cellos.

If you are looking to learn more about how to Slalom or perform freestyle skating tricks check out: http://universkate.free.fr/. 

You’ll find that if you have the nerve to take a stab at the cones, exceptionally good skaters will take pity on you and teach you how to execute. Upon returning to seeing cones my first time I thought to myself,  “I had not slalomed in over 10 years”.  I knew I had a problem. Frankly I had to rebuild my leg and ankle strength, but I could still slalom cones backwards with traditional “S” turns.  What I wanted from the experience was to execute just like the pros.  This is how I met Z.   Z can skate backwards essentially keeping his feet lined up heel to toe with no “S” type motion, just pure ankle power driving his turns.   If you see Z there, he’ll demonstrate some crazy leg moves that will shame mere mortals.   Z is a local and has a lot of moves that’s he’s humble about giving help with; he’ll teach you without attitude.   While some skaters are quiet and to themselves, everyone is decent about acknowledging any improvement you have.   In short the slalom crew at the Band Shell are good people and you don’t need to be afraid to skate with them. Z also e-mailed me after posting this article a couple good resources to learn more about freestyling and slaloming through cones: http://www.freestyleskaters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=278 and http://www.freestyleskaters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=200. I suggest you check these threads out, and you'll find other usefull links. ;) You'll find this link: http://www.kiwidude.com/skatetricks.html which shows you in video how to do tricks and what the names are etc..

Across the way at the foot of the Band shell area and in eyesight are the Dance Skaters.  They even have a Club, The Central Park Dance Association.  So you know they take it very serious.  For the most part their web site is for scheduling purposes. 

Basic Central Park Skating Information

INLINE SKATES

Skating a crowded Path

Inline Planet

Inline Skating Resource

SPEED SKATING VENDORS:

Net Racing

Inline Warehouse

EQUIMPENT MAKERS

Canariam

K2

Mogema

Bont (big name in skates)